Fight The Power
by Ayrlee
Summary: Future fic set in the time before Chris came back to save the future. Leo is still an Avatar, Piper is dead, and the boys are lost. What made Wyatt turn evil? Will history repeat itself? Find out.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N**_

_**Time for the disclaimer… **_

_**I do not own Charmed or any of the original characters from the television series. The story below is completely original and thought of out of my own little brain. And when I say little, I'm not kidding! **_

**_This story takes place in the alternate past that Chris came back from in season 6. Piper is dead, Leo never left the Avatars, and Wyatt has not yet turned evil. Please R&R Your comments and criticisms are always welcomed._**

Chapter One

February 20, 2019

_"Dear Journal,_

It has been a year today since Mom died. For 365 days now I have called up into the Heavens begging her to come and see me, but she still hasn't. I know that she has moved on to the other side, but it's not like I've never spoken with ghosts before. Wyatt won't come out of his room, and Dad keeps knocking at his door incessantly. He's popped his head in my room every so often to ask if Wyatt is alright, but he hasn't once asked how I am doing. He seems to be drifting further and further away from me since Mom was killed, and he keeps trying to latch onto Wyatt. I wonder sometimes if he ever really wanted me, or if he even cares that I am alive. I'm sure he blames Moms death on me, I can understand why. After all, it was me who finally convinced her and my aunts to leave the Avatars and fight for good like they did before HE became one. Mom swore to me that Dad was a good man, but I have yet to catch a glimpse of the man he used to be."

Fifteen year old Christopher Perry Haliwell saved his computer journal entry, sighed, and plopped down on his bed. He could hear his father, Leo, pacing in the hall outside his older brothers room. Chris looked at his wall clock and grimaced; another two hours before Grandpa Victor was due to arrive to save him this Hell that he called home.

"Hello Leo," Chris heard a voice in the wall. Chris grimaced, knowing who it was.

"What are you doing here?" he heard his father hiss. "I've told you time and again not to come to my home with my son here!"

Inwardly, Chris flinched because he knew that Leo meant Wyatt, not him. All Leo ever cared about was the well being of Wyatt's safety.

"We know that you have sensed this new threat. The remaining sisters are planning to finish what your deceased wife planned to start. You must take care of this, and quickly," the other voice said calmly.

Chris jumped off of his bed and pressed his ear to his door so that he could hear the exchange better. He hoped that he would find out more about Pipers mysterious, and untimely, death.

"No!" Leo exclaimed. "I told you before; I will not harm the sisters. I told you after Piper was murdered that I would do nothing more for you!"

"Tsk tsk Leo," came the calm response, "Your wife was not murdered, and she simply waged a battle she could not win. A demon got to her, remember? We've been over this."

"Well, I'm not going to lead the 'demon' to the sisters," Leo scoffed.

"That is your choice, old friend; however... that particular demon may focus his attentions on your son. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him again, now would we?"

Chris pressed his ear harder against the door but all he could hear was silence. What did Alpha mean by again? What were they planning to do to his older brother if his father didn't comply with their wishes?

Chris heard the familiar jingle of orbing as his father gave into the will of the Avatar, and he threw his bedroom door open at the same time as Wyatt did from across the hall. Chris stared at his big brother that he idolized with his big green eyes. For a moment they stood in silence not knowing what to say.

"Dad is going after Paige and Phoebe, isn't he?" Wyatt asked.

"It sounds like it," Chris answered quietly.

"We can't let that happen," Wyatt protested.

"What are we supposed to do about it? They know EVERYTHING," Chris replied, feeling a bit defeated.

"Maybe so, but they're not invincible. The only reason Mom, Aunt Phoebe, and Aunt Paige didn't take them out in the beginning was because of Dad. The Charmed Ones could do anything they wanted to," Wyatt replied.

"But Mom is dead," Chris replied simply. It was the first time he had ever said those words out loud, and oddly enough it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Yeah, she is," Wyatt said. "But, we're a part of her. We can do something, or we can try anyway. He can't get to her sisters too. Help with this little brother."

"Okay," Chris said, feeling invigorated, "I will. Let's do it! Where do we start?"

"The attic!" Wyatt replied enthusiastically.

"Uh, Wyatt... have you been living under a rock? Nobody has been able to get into the attic since Mom died. We can't get that door open."

"Well, neither of you can get it open, but I can."

Wyatt and Chris jumped. Despite their upbringing, they were still a little jumpy when it came to the supernatural. They looked around to see where the voice was coming from. Standing right in front of them was a slightly transparent Piper. She smiled lovingly at her two sons, pride written all over her face.

"You'll find what you need up there, and I'm here to help you along the way," she said to them as she headed in the direction of the attic stairs.

Chris and Wyatt found themselves in front of the attic door and a light glow emanated from around it. Leo had cast some sort of powerful magic that would not allow any living being beyond this point, which left the boys yearning for their heritage. They knew that the book, and all the other magical artifacts, that their mother had inherited from her ancestors were still up there. They felt their hearts beating faster in their chests, and their breath became shorter and more rapid.

"Mom, how are you going to get past this?" Chris asked doubtfully.

Piper just smiled. She closed her eyes and traced the door jam with her fingertip. The image seemed surreal to the boys. Their dead mother stood before them, in front of a glowing door that had been locked for a year now. A golden light flooded from under the door and filled the stairwell. A howling wind kicked up in protest, Chris and Wyatt shielded their faces with their arms, but Pipers spirit stood in front of the door calmly and unaffected. She placed the palm of her hand in the center of the door as the light started to fade, the wind died down, and the door opened invitingly.

Chris and Wyatt tiptoed past their mother's spiritual being into the confines of the attic. Everything was as they remembered it, the Book in the center of the room, worn furniture scattered around the perimeter, and boxes filled with things that had been collected over generations of Warren and Haliwell witches. Light filtered in from the window, and the dust that had been disturbed slowly wafted down to settle itself once again.

Piper glided over to the Book and stood tracing the triquata with her fingertip. She stared hard at her eldest son as she wondered if she was doing the right thing. She feared that history was repeating itself, but she was sent here to perform a duty that she could not deny. Perhaps it would be different this time, perhaps Wyatt wouldn't turn evil, perhaps Chris wouldn't have to go back to the past and risk his life again.

"After Chris was born, your father and I hid something that was meant for you, Wyatt." she told her son. "We were afraid that you would misuse your power, and that horrible things would happen if you got it in your hands, but the time has come for me to give you back what was yours. Promise me, please son, promise me that you will use it for good. Promise me that you will work alongside your brother to restore good, and to save the world from the twisted view of the Avatars."

"And Dads," Chris muttered under his breath.

Piper shot Chris a sad look, but she understood why he would feel that way. Leo had distanced himself from their youngest son since shortly after he was born. He always seemed to favor Wyatt. When she would confront her husband he would merely tell her that they already knew what they would be like when they grew up, and although he loved Chris he had to focus on Wyatt to ensure that Chris would remain safe.

Wyatt looked at his younger brother. He couldn't remember a time when he and Chris weren't thick in some sort of mischief together, and he couldn't imagine not including him in whatever endeavors came his way. He stepped forward and put his hand on Chris's shoulder. Blue eyes met green eyes in an intense moment, and then Wyatt turned to Piper and nodded.

"I've shared everything with my brother for as long as I can remember, whatever it is you want to give me, I won't accept unless it is given to both of us," Wyatt told his mother.

Piper smiled, "Very well then. I'm so proud of you both, no matter what happens, remember how much I love you, and how proud I am of you at this very moment."

Piper stepped forward and kissed both of her sons. They felt a sensation never felt before, and almost indescribable. Warmth filled their cheeks, but a cool wind blew across their faces. They felt connected, and disconnected all at the same time. As their mother started to fade out of existence once more, they heard her soft voice echo throughout the attic.

"The fear I had is all but gone,  
I call to bring forth a coming dawn  
A bond they have sworn to forge,  
Bring to them the master sword"

The room started to shake, and the boys held onto one another to keep themselves steady. Trinkets in shelves teetered dangerously close to the edge, threatening to shatter into a million pieces. Everything seemed to spin in circles at a furious rate, and Chris feared he would be sick. Mist started steaming from the furthest corners of the attic, and it gathered together in a fog in the center of the room next to the Book of Shadows.

"Wyatt?" Chris called anxiously. The fog had engulfed them, and Chris couldn't see in front of him. Despite the fact that Chris could feel Wyatt holding onto his arm, Chris was fearful that his brother was gone. He needed to hear his voice; he needed to know that they were still together, still a team.

The house became silent and still. The only sound to be heard was the breathing of the two brothers. The mist was gone, and in its place was a huge rock with a might sword entrapped within it. Chris and Wyatt couldn't believe their eyes. Their whole lives their parents, aunts, and grandfather had insisted that the story of King Arthur and Excalibur were merely fairy tales.

"Excalibur? We're going to use Excalibur to defeat the Avatars?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"Mom said it was yours," Chris said quietly.

"I told Mom I wouldn't take it without you," Wyatt answered.

"Well, if it's yours you need to pull it from the stone," Chris said matter of factly.

"Lets pull it together," Wyatt said. He didn't want to bear this burden on his back alone; he needed his brother to keep him strong. He knew that Chris would be the one to keep him strong, and to keep him sane throughout the battle that their teenage souls would have to endure soon enough.

The stepped up to the stone together and grasped the hilt of the sword with their right hands.

"On three," Chris said.

"One, two," Wyatt said.

"THREE!" They said in unison.


	2. Chapter 2

"You bastard! How DARE you come here threatening us!" Paige spat at Leo.

She and Phoebe were sitting in Phoebe's kitchen and they were both on edge. Today was the anniversary of Piper's death, and they went to each other for support. Leo showing up unexpectedly threw them both a loop and they didn't take kindly to the words that Leo spoke. 

"I'm not threatening you. I'm warning you," Leo replied.

"Sounds like the same thing to me," Phoebe told him, crossing her arms and looking hard at him. Despite herself, she still loved Leo like the brother she never had. She had known him since the very beginning, before Wyatt, before he became an Elder, before Gideon, before his trip off the deep end, and before the Avatars. She remembered him as their kind hearted Whitelighter who loved her, Paige, and Prue... and loved Piper even more than life itself. She couldn't, however, help but to blame him for Pipers death. With all of his powers he could have saved her. He brought her back from death once before, and she knew that he could do it again if he wanted to.

"I swear it's not a threat!" Leo insisted. "They know, okay? They know that you guys are planning an uprising, and they sent me to stop you. Please, just don't do it!"

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe asked Leo. "We're not planning anything!"

Paige looked from Leo to Phoebe for a moment, and then smiled inwardly to herself. She knew what was happening, but there was no way she would allow Leo, or his Avatar friends, find out what was going on.

"Stop Phoebe, they're onto us," she told her big sister. She walked over to Phoebe and laid a hand on her sisters arm hoping that the image that she tried to project to Phoebe would prevail. Phoebe felt the usual jolt of a premonition and looked at Paige with wide eyes.

"What did you see?" Leo asked suspiciously.

"That's none of your business. You go and tell your friends that they can't stop us, but we will stop them." Phoebe told him vehemently.

"You can't fight them, they're too powerful! You guys are Pipers sisters; it's my job to look after you now that she's gone. Please, please don't do this!" Leo pleaded.

"You're such a good brother in law. Tell me, did you give Piper the same warning before she was murdered by your little brotherhood?" Paige asked coldly.

Leo looked as if he had been struck by a truck. His face paled and he looked down at his feet. He wished that he could tell them the truth, tell them what happened to Piper, and why he couldn't stop it. He knew that he would put his boys at risk if he did though, and the thought of dying Chris in his arms still lay heavy in his minds eye.

"You're not the only ones that miss her," he told them instead before he orbed away.

"That was mean, Paige." Phoebe reprimanded.

"Not the point, we have to work out a plan here. As long as they believe that it is us that is planning this uprising, the boys will be safe." Paige said excitedly.

"Like Hell, Paige. I'm not putting those boys at risk! Piper would come back from the dead and haunt us to no end if something happened to them. Not to mention our daughters, what will happen to them?" Phoebe insisted.

"Melinda and Kayla will be fine, and Wyatt and Chris will be too. We can't stop the boys, you know that, but if we help them then they are sure to prevail. You know this Phoebe... help me, don't make me do this on my own!"

Phoebe looked out her kitchen window toward the girls. Her daughter Melinda, 13, and her niece Kayla, 11, were sitting on a blanket under a tall oak tree painting each others fingernails and giggling, undoubtedly discussing some boy or another. It was a comforting scene, a vision of all things good, until Phoebe looked further and saw the crystal cage that surrounded them. The cage that she and Paige insisted on having to protect their children from the Avatars. What was worse was the cage didn't even faze the girls because they were so used to it. 

"Alright, let's do it. But we have to protect the boys, not just help them get started." Phoebe relented quietly.

_**Meanwhile back at the Manor**_

Excalibur pulled easily from the stone. It pointed heavenwards and the bright light that illuminated from the stone engulfed them, warming them with a sense of hope. They heard the sound of singing, as if the angels above were praising their joy with song. Chris felt as if his head was spinning, and so he closed his eyes. He saw himself once again with his mother, in a safe and happy place. They were in a field of wildflowers, a breeze was toying with her long black tresses, and she was laughing happily. She reached out to take his hand, and started to lead him down a little cobblestone path--

"NO!" a shout interrupted Chris's momentary vision of bliss. With a start he and Wyatt turn to see their father standing before them. His face was red with fury and his eyes were narrow slits of rage. He threw his arm up and the boys went flying. Wyatt landed with a thud against a far wall, and Chris landed closer to Leo's feet. All three men watched as Excalibur flew into the air, catching light as if flipped through the air, and landed with a pinging noise on the other side of Leo.

Chris lifted himself to his knees and scrambled to the sword. He groaned as he felt Leo's foot impact his ribs, but he pressed on holding the sword tight in his hand. He tucked it against his chest and rolled away as Leo advanced on him again.

"Wyatt! Take it, go!" Chris called as he threw Excalibur to his brother.

Wyatt leapt forward and caught it, but he paused for a moment to look at Chris and Leo. It was evident that he was afraid for his little brothers well being. He had never seen his father in such a rage, and the thought of leaving Chris alone terrified him.

"Go!" Chris demanded. "I'll meet with you soon!"

Wyatt orbed away, leaving Chris alone with his father and terrified. Leo lifted Chris up by the collar of his shirt and stared long and hard at him.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Leo raged.

"I'm fulfilling the destiny of my brother that you tried to conceal!" was Chris's defiant answer.

"Chris, you can't fight this! There is nothing that you can do to save yourself now! You cannot win!" Leo shouted as he let go of his son. Chris landed with a thud on the floor and scooted back into a corner. Leo advanced slowly on his youngest son, his who whole body rigid with tension.

"You're scared," Chris said, forcing a smile through his terror. "You're afraid of what the sword will do to the Avatars... and to you!"

"You don't get it do you?" Leo asked calmly as he knelt in front of Chris. "You just don't get it! I don't understand, I thought I had time. Chris," Leo was at a loss of words so he said the only thing he could think of, "Don't give up on me son.""I gave up on you the day you let my mother die," Chris spat back at him.

Leo stood up and walked away. He couldn't let him see the tears that were welling up in his eyes. How could he fail his children so horribly, when all these years he was trying to prevent this very thing?

"You've ruined everything," Leo said quietly before orbing away.

The words stung Chris down to his very soul. His ribs were throbbing, he could hardly breathe, and he tasted blood in his mouth. He stared longingly across the room to where his mother had stood only moments before.

"Mom!" he called through his tears. "Mom, please!" The only answer was a squeak from the floorboards as he collapsed in agony.


	3. Chapter 3

Victor found Chris heaped on the attic floor. His face was stained with tears, his eyes were swollen, and his chest heaved in deep breaths. His expression, however, showed no emotion at all. He just lay on the floor in the fetal position, seemingly unaware of anyone in the room. Victor's heart went out to the boy, and he wished that he could have been there sooner. He knew that both of his grandsons would need him today, the anniversary of their mother's death, because their father was a useless puke. Victor wondered how long Chris had been there; crying and alone.

"Mom," was the hoarse whisper, barely audible, that came from Chris's parched lips. "Mom come back, please."

Victor knelt beside his youngest grandson, oblivious to what Chris was really asking for, or how long he had been asking. He assumed that the young man had come to the attic; a place where he could feel connected to his mother, and cried for her for the first time since her death.

"She can't come back son, I wish she could, but she can't," he said trying to comfort Chris.

"But she did! She came back to give Wyatt Excalibur," Chris whispered.

Victor felt as if his heart dropped to his knees. He remembered the awful stories future Chris had told about Wyatt with Excalibur. He surveyed his situation more closely, and it finally registered that the stone was empty, there was evidence of a struggle, Chris was hurt, and Wyatt was nowhere to be seen. Panic started to set in, but he tried to maintain his cool.

"Wyatt has Excalibur?" he tried to ask calmly.

"Yeah. We got it away from him, and I told Wyatt I would meet with him later. I hope they didn't get to him," Chris said as he tried to sit up. He threw his head back in pain and once again fell to the fetal position.

"Mom..." he whimpered once more before closing his eyes.

"Chris! Chris my boy, wake up! Damn," Victor's mind was racing. His oldest grandson had Excalibur, which the entire family tried to keep from him his entire life, and his youngest grandson was badly injured. He considered calling for Leo, but he thought better of it. Regardless of whether or not Chris was his son, Leo probably wouldn't come anyway... not with Wyatt on the loose with that damned sword. Victor looked up to the skies and hoped against hope that someone would come to help him.

"I know you're still up there you Sons of... sorry, I'm just scared. I know that you are still up there, please send someone to help him. He's hurt, and he got hurt trying to save Excalibur. Someone?" he cried angrily.

Phoebe and Paige rushed into the Bayview Hospital Emergency Room. The nurse at the front desk looked up distractedly as they came to a halt in front of her station.

"Hi, I'm Phoebe Haliwell. My father called earlier, and my nephew is here, Christopher Haliwell. We'd like to see him, please."

"I have no record of a Christine Haliwell," the nurse said dismissively.

"CHRISTOPHER Haliwell," Paige answered.

"Oh, yes I have a Christopher Haliwell, who are you?" the nurse asked Paige, pointedly ignoring Phoebe.

"Paige Mathews-Brody, I'm his aunt."

"Oh, his aunt. So, you're his mother Ms. Haliwell?" she asked turning to Phoebe.

"No," Phoebe said trying to force a smile, "I'm his aunt as well, like I told you he's my nephew and my father brought him in."

"Oh, well unfortunately I can't release any information to you since you are not a parent," the nurse said.

"Wait! You said he's here right? Just tell us where to find him," Paige insisted.

"Sorry... Next!" the nurse said as she turned away.

Phoebe and Paige walked away from the desk defeated by the Nazi in support hose and white shoes. They looked at each other helplessly, trying to figure out what to do. Victor had called about twenty minutes earlier telling them to get to the hospital, Chris was being transported by ambulance, and he would explain when they got there. Now that they were there, they had no idea how or where to find out what was going on.

Paige motioned to the waiting room and they decided to take a seat and wait for any news. They sat in worried silence for about an hour as they thought about what could have happened to their nephew. How could he have gotten hurt bad enough to be brought to a hospital when his father was a whitelighter/ex elder/Avatar? Phoebe worried that something may have happened to Leo, because she knew that he would never let anything happen to his boys. Where was Wyatt? They sat in their absent musings until Phoebe felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see her father standing above her, he looked tired but relieved.

"Daddy!" Phoebe exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. "Where is Chris? What happened?"

"I'm not sure what happened, he's resting peacefully. I was hoping you could figure out what happened, you know, with that special gift you have?" Victor said.

Phoebe narrowed her eyes knowing that something very bad had happened, and she wasn't going to like the outcome of it. Paige and Phoebe followed Victor down the long corridors of the hospital. Chris was lying in a bed, with IV's stuck into his arms and monitors poking through his hospital gown. His left cheekbone was slightly bruised and his lower lip was a bit swollen. Paige stepped forward and covered him a little more with the sheet that was gathered down by his feet and kissed him on the forehead, and Phoebe just stood in the doorway completely blown away.

"He's sedated now, but he was in pretty bad shape emotionally when we came in. He's got two broken ribs and he was a little dehydrated but that's about all. The doctors are just keeping him overnight for observation," Victor filled them in.

"What the hell happened?" Paige hissed.

"I think Wyatt did it," Victor said.

"Wyatt?" Phoebe asked.

"The only thing he said before he passed out was that Piper came back to give Wyatt Excalibur, and when I got there Excalibur, and Wyatt were nowhere to be found," Victor answered sadly. He hated to think of Wyatt as a threat.

Phoebe stepped forward and laid her hand on Chris's arm. The familiar shock of the premonition came immediately. In a series of flashes she saw Piper standing at the attic door looking lovingly at her sons, Wyatt and Chris pulling the sword from the stone together with boyish grins of worried anticipation, and Leo. Leo! Phoebe stumbled backwards, terror written all over her face. Paige caught her and Victor rushed forward.

"It was Wyatt, wasn't it?" he asked.

"No," Phoebe replied as she got her bearings back. She quickly decided to take charge. "Dad, you stay here with Chris. Don't allow anyone besides me, Paige, and Kyle to see him. Paige, you go back to your house and get the girls. Bring them back to the manor in case Wyatt goes home, and for Gods sake don't forget to set up the Crystals. I don't want a single Avatar to penetrate the perimeter of that house!" 

"Where are you going?" Paige asked.

"To kick a little Avatar butt," Phoebe answered. She ducked into the ladies room and checked under all the stall doors. After making sure that she was alone she pressed her body against the door to ensure she didn't have any unwanted visitors.

"Sam!" she whispered. "Sam, I need your help."

Paige's birth father orbed into the ladies restroom. He looked around and shifted his feet uncomfortably and avoided eye contact with Phoebe.

"Hello, Sam." Phoebe said pleasantly.

"Uh, Hi Phoebe." He replied. "What can I do for you?"

"For Gods sake, Sam!" Phoebe laughed. She was highly amused with Sam's embarrassment from being in the ladies room despite what she had just seen in her vision. "What are you 12 years old? We're alone, just pretend it's the kitchen back at the manor!"

Sam took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "Of course, what can I do for you?"

"I can't really get into it now, but I promise I will explain later," Phoebe told him. "But I need you to give me a lift, and then leave me until I call for you again."

"Yeah, okay." Sam said easily. "No problem."

Phoebe stood on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, trying desperately not to pass out from fear. Sam had offered to stay with her, but she needed to do this alone. He was on standby to bring her back, and she had a feeling he was lurking close by to make sure nothing happened to her.

"Leo! Leo you get your butt down here right now!" she called up into the sky. "If you don't get down here this very second I will summon Piper and tell her what you've done!"

Leo appeared almost immediately. Disheveled and annoyed, he looked at her questioningly. She stared hard at him as the fury that boiled just below the surface of her skin threatened to explode in a volcanic rush. It took every ounce of self control not to throw herself at him and beat him senseless. Although she had been fighting fireball and energy ball throwing demons since her early 20's, she was more terrified now than she had ever been in her life. But, her anger gave her the strength to follow through.

"You son of a-"

"Phoebe, what's the problem? I'm really in no mood for this so can you just tell me what's going on so that I can go?" Leo interupted.

"You're in no mood? You selfish jerk! You beat the crap out of Chris, don't even bother healing him, he's laying in the hospital battered and bruised, and YOUR IN NO MOOD?" Phoebe exploded.

"What? Chris is in the hospital? Why didn't you just call me, I would have healed him," Leo said, some what surprised. He didn't beat the crap out of him, he was merely trying to get the sword away from them. Suddenly the images of the scene started to come back to him in a rush. He groaned and he remembered his panic turn to fury when he saw Wyatt holding Excalibur, and the comment he made just before he left. He loved Chris more than he thought possible, more than Wyatt, and even more than Piper. His whole life he had been trying to fight to keep Chris safe, to keep his youngest child from putting himself into danger. 

"I'll go to him now, I'll fix this Phoebe," Leo said.

"You stay the Hell away from that boy," Phoebe told Leo. "My dad, Paige, and myself will take care of Chris and Wyatt from now on. You stay away from them, do you understand me?"

"You can't keep me away from my children, Phoebe." Leo said defiantly.

"Do you want to bet?" Phoebe asked him with ice lacing every word. "You stay away, or you will be sorry you ever placed foot in the manor. Are we clear?"

Leo nodded, knowing that he had been defeated. He had to fix what he had done, but he knew that it was best to heed the advice of his sister in law, or else he would never get the chance to do it in the future.

"Sam, I'm done here. I'm ready to go," Phoebe called.

A moment later she was gone in orbs, and Leo collapsed onto the red beam of the bridge, a crumpled mess of a man.


	4. Chapter 4

Wyatt paced nervously throughout the mausoleum. He and Chris went there often to escape from Leo's moods. Their father either couldn't sense them there, or he was just too much of a coward to follow them to their mother's grave. Hours had passed since the showdown with Leo, and Wyatt was now getting anxious that his brother had not come here to meet him.

Piper stood in the corner with her mother, Patty, watching him as her heart broke. She knew that he couldn't see her nor sense her, but that made her want to reach her arms around him and comfort him more.

"Why can't I show myself to him?" Piper asked her mother.

"Because you can't take away his will," Patty answered.

"I won't be taking away his will, Mom; I just want to warn him."

"Piper, if you say anything you'll be forcing your will on him, and he'll do what you want him to do. He has to make this decision by himself. You did your part, you made him promise restore the balance, and to work alongside with his brother. What more do you want to do?"

Piper shrugged helplessly and leaned against the wall. She watched as Wyatt strode over to the sword and picked it up. He stared at it in awe for a moment and the swung it around in a mock battle with an imaginary enemy. Piper couldn't begin to fathom what was going through her son's 17 year old mind. She sighed as Wyatt orbed away. Instinctively she knew that he was leaving to go find out what happened with Chris.

Wyatt tried to orb into his bedroom, but he was redirected to the front steps of the manor. Confused, he looked around wondering what had happened. He took a step forward, but he was knocked back by an invisible force field. Anger started to rise, but Paige opened the door and looked out. She ran down the front steps to meet him and held out her hand. He took it, and then he was able to easily pass the crystal encampment that his aunt had set up.

Once inside he filled Paige in. He told her how he had overheard his father and Alpha discussing the threat, and how Leo was told to take care of her and Phoebe. He told her how his mother had appeared and gotten them into the attic, and given him and Chris the sword. Paige asked what had happened to Chris, but Wyatt said that his brother was fine when he left. He was furious to find out that Chris was in the hospital and had been left on his own to suffer. 

"If I had known Aunt Paige, I would have gone to him," Wyatt said with tears in his eyes. He was sitting on the couch with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. Paige wrapped her arm around his shoulders and he leaned into his aunt for support.

"I know, Sweetie. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt him," Paige said soothingly. She, however, was staring at Excalibur which Wyatt hadn't let out of arms length. It made her feel uneasy knowing that he had control over the thing.

"I wouldn't, I swear! I would do anything to protect him. Chris is all that I have," Wyatt insisted.

"Is that true?" Paige asked.

"Of course it's true," Wyatt said incredulously.

"Then march your butt back up those stairs and put that sword back into the stone," Paige demanded.

"But why?" Wyatt asked.

"Please don't ask me why," Paige's heart was breaking, "but if you want to protect Chris, and Melinda and Kayla just put the sword back into the stone."

Wyatt didn't ask anymore questions, and he and Paige walked up to the attic. Wyatt slammed the sword back into the stone and a slicing sound echoed off the walls. He felt a deep sense of loss, and relief at the same time.

"Okay," Paige said going to the book.

"What are you doing?" Wyatt asked her.

"Looking for a spell to get rid of that thing once and for all," she replied.

"NO!" Wyatt demanded.

"What?" She asked looking up, and feeling a little nervous.

"Aunt Paige, my mom came back from the dead to give this thing to me. If you think it will keep everyone safe to keep it in the stone, then fine, but don't take it from me. It's all Chris and I have of her. The sword stays right here in the stone, or it comes out of the stone and stays by mine and Chris's side. It's your choice."

Paige sighed. She didn't really have much of a choice.

After Chris was released from the hospital, Phoebe told her father what had really happened. She and Victor decided it was best for the boys to remain in the manor. Phoebe and Paige already had families and homes of their own, so he decided to try his role as a parent once more hoping he would do better with his grandsons.

Three years had passed since Piper had come to give Excalibur to the boys. They stayed true to their word and worked together as a team training for the coming revolution. More often than not, they would train hard and play harder. Victor would walk in on them battling, and nearly have a coronary. Although he knew that they were just being boys he couldn't shake the images that future Chris had put into his mind about evil Wyatt.

One afternoon Chris felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, and he shared a look with his brother. They both sensed something in the house that was not human. Wyatt motioned to Chris and they covertly made their way to up to the attic where they figured the threat would be. The boys were taken aback with the image that they beheld.

"Whoa," Chris said under his breath.

A beautiful woman stood before them, scantly clad with clothing. Her body was perfect, as if time never touched it. Her raven black hair cascaded down her back to her waist. Her olive skin shimmered in the low light and it set off her almond shaped brown eyes magnificently. Her lips were full, shiny, and supple which left the boys hungry to taste them.

"My my, haven't you grown," she said demurely as she stepped forward to see the boys better. She ran her finger down Wyatt's strong jawbone leaving him speechless. She turned to Chris and traced his lips with her finger and moved in close to him as if she were to kiss him. He leaned forward and closed his eyes, but she turned away giving them a full view of her hourglass figure barely hidden beneath her silken skirts.

"It's been simply ages since I've seen you two," she said circling around the stone that housed Excalibur.

"But I knew you would both grow to be strong men." She tossed her head back and smiled seductively at them.

"Who are you?" Chris asked her.

"I'm a seer," she replied. "I've come to tell you what I've seen."

"Hopefully you've seen me and you together alone," was Wyatt's cheeky reply. He boldly wrapped his strong arm around her slender waist and leaned his face close to hers. She placed her index finger on his lips and stepped out of his hold, leaving him once again speechless. Chris snickered to himself.

"As nice as that sounds, I'm here on business," she replied suddenly very serious.

"Your aunts and your father helped me out once, and now it's my turn to return the favor. I've seen something that I think you might be interested in."

"What?" Wyatt asked. He and Chris pulled themselves out of the seductive spell she seemed to place on them and they were now focused on what was at hand.

"There is a group of witches not to far away that can take the lives of you and your entire family in a matter of seconds. They'll do it to," she answered smiling at the thought. "But what they don't understand is how much you can help them."

"Why would they want to take us out?" Chris asked.

"Hmmm, it could have something to do with the fact that I told them that your brother would kill every last one of them," she replied dismissively.

"You what?" Wyatt asked.

"Well, you'll have to eventually if you don't form an allegiance with them. Of course, if you don't act quickly they may form that allegiance with the underworld which will make them virtually unstoppable." the seer replied.

"Fine, we'll form an allegiance with them. Thanks for the tip, you can go now," Chris told her. He didn't trust this woman at all.

"Mmmm... not as simple as that. See, there are a lot of powerful demons in the underworld, and powerful as you may be, you're still just not powerful enough," she replied.

"Powerful enough for what?" Wyatt asked.

"Just not powerful enough," she answered. She waved her hand over a bowl of water and motioned for the boys to look. Wyatt and Chris stepped back after viewing the image they had seen, shocked and scared.

"What do we have to do?" he asked her.

"Pull the sword from the stone. Become one with the sword, and I'll be back when the time is right." she answered.

"How are we supposed to become one with the sword?" Wyatt asked.

"Oh, not 'we' honey, you. You have to become one with the sword, and I have a friend that can help you with that," she answered mysteriously.

"But we, no. I won't do it alone, I promised our mother-" Wyatt started.

"Wyatt, you have to. You saw what will happen if you don't," Chris interrupted. "I'll be by your side the entire time; it doesn't mean we have to share the sword."

Wyatt nodded, unsure of himself, but deciding to do it anyway. He grasped the hilt, but paused and looked at his baby brother.

"Let's do it like before," he practically begged.

Chris nodded grasping the hilt alongside his brother, "One, two... THREE!"

"Awe how sweet. Nothing sexier than these two brothers," the seer said as the sword came free of the stone.

"Now it's time to go learn how to use it," she flicked her fingers and she and Wyatt were gone, leaving Chris once again alone in the attic.


	5. Chapter 5

Wyatt spun around in a circle taking in his surroundings. It was dark, and the only light was coming from a bonfire in the center of the cave in which he stood. The flames flickered which made the shadows dance across the walls. The seer stood next to him, smiling her seductive smile, and touched his arm to gain his attention. He looked at her with bewilderment written across his face, and she nodded to the furthest corner.

"Where am I?" he asked her.

"In the underworld," she replied casually.

"What? This is ridiculous; there is nobody here that can help me with anything! I'm going home!" he raged.

"Don't go," she said sweetly, "there's someone here that just can't wait to see you."

"Who?" Wyatt asked.

"Me," a man's voice said from the corner.

Wyatt focused his attention and tried to adjust his eyes to the poor lighting. "Dad?"

"Hello, Son." Leo said as he stepped forward in the light of the fire. He was dressed casually in a pair of denim jeans and a lightweight black sweater. He had his hands in his front pockets, relaxed, as he looked at his oldest son.

"This is who you said would help me?" Wyatt asked the seer. She didn't say anything, but she smiled nervously... almost as if she had second guessed her judgment.

"I have no reason to be here, and now I'm really going home," Wyatt said flatly.

"No, Wyatt, wait," Leo said stepping forward. He wasn't nearly as relaxed as he was a moment before, and a glimmer of fear flickered in his blue eyes.

"I waited for three years," Wyatt answered. "Do you honestly think that you can disappear, leave me and Chris alone without any parents, and have the audacity to thing that I would just accept you with open arms after you send a demonic seer to kidnap me into the underworld? It doesn't work that way, Leo."

"I didn't abandon you, or Chris, Wyatt. Phoebe told me to stay away-"

"Oh yeah, blame it on someone else... that's what you're good for isnt it?" Wyatt raged.

"Phoebe told me to stay away from you and Chris," Leo continued calmly, "but I couldn't. I was never far, but I stayed cloaked so that the sisters and Victor wouldn't find out. I didn't know what they would do if they found out. I'm sorry, I should have showed myself to you, but I was afraid of them hiding you from me. I'm sorry," Leo said. He had a big long speech planned to make up for everything that he had done wrong, but at the sight of his eldest son before him his mind drew a blank. 

Wyatt stood before his father with a million things running through his mind. He knew that Phoebe had threatened Leo, but in his heart he knew that his father would never truly abandon him and his brother. But after three years, both he and Chris had given up hope of ever seeing their father again. Now, here he was standing before him, offering an olive branch. Wyatt looked to his side instinctively for Chris, but his heart dropped when the reality of his younger brother not being by his side hit him.

"So you're sorry and you want to be Daddy again now that Chris and I are grown?" Wyatt asked Leo.

"Yes! I'm not asking for forgiveness right now because I know that is too much to ask for. I'm just asking for a chance to gain your trust again," Leo replied, hope lacing every word.

"Oh I see," Wyatt said thoughtfully. "If that's the case, then why didn't' you have your girlfriend here bring Chris too?"

"She was supposed to," Leo said shooting the seer a look. "Why didn't you bring my other son?"

"Because," she answered, moving a little further behind the bonfire.

"Because why?" Leo asked as the veins in his neck started to pulse. Wyatt looked from the woman to his father, sensing something very bad was about to happen.

"Because we told her not to," a voice said from the shadows behind Wyatt. Wyatt spun around and he was confronted with Alpha, Gamma, and Omega... the three head Avatars. Wyatt tried to orb away, but for some reason he felt powerless. His arms felt like concrete as he tried to lift the sword above his head to fight them off. Gamma and Omega quickly stepped forward, each grabbing one of his shoulders and the three of them disappeared.

"NO!" Leo shouted.

"Leo," Alpha said calmly, "Come back to us. We have your oldest son, and he is the key to our goal. The goal that all of us have been waiting for. Come back to us, be a part of his training."

"Bring my son back here, NOW!" Leo raged.

"I'm afraid we can't do that, but you'll see him soon. Perhaps he will be able to persuade you to come back." With that Alpha shimmered away.

Leo panicked. His plan was to retrieve his sons, and to teach Wyatt to use Excalibur for good. He should have known that they would sense what happened, or that the Seer would betray him.

"You!" Leo said through his teeth. "I will destroy you."

"No," the Seer said. "Please don't. I had to, they are more powerful than I am. They were going to kill me!"

"I'm going to kill you if you don't figure out a way to get my son back," Leo told her.

"I can't," she said sadly. "But perhaps the sisters can."

"I told you to stay away from this family!" Phoebe screamed.

"Would you just listen to me?" Leo pleaded.

"You don't have anything to say worth listening to!" Phoebe replied. "PAIGE!"

"What's going on? What the hell are you doing here?" Paige asked as she orbed in a second later.

"Would you guys just listen?" Leo asked the sisters.

"I already told you, there is NOTHING to say," Phoebe repeated.

"Yeah really! You abandon those boys for three years and now you waltz in here thinking you have some sort of say?" Paige accused.

"Wyatt has Excalibur." Leo blurted.

"That's impossible, he put it back in the stone years ago and promised never to touch it again," Paige replied, but her voice shook with anxiety.

"No, it's true." Chris said entering the room. "Some lady that called herself a seer showed up in the attic back at the manor and convinced him to pull it out, and then she took him away."

Phoebe felt all the rage toward Leo melt away and she reached behind her to find a stable something to hold onto. Her knees went weak and the color drained from her face. She felt faint and tried to steady herself on the back of the recliner that she stood in front of. 

"How did the seer get into the manor? I put a protection on it," Paige said completely bewildered.

"I helped her," Leo admitted.

"What do you mean you helped her?" Paige asked.

"I sent her to get Wyatt to pull the sword, and then she was supposed to bring him back to me so that I could train him... and show him how to use it for good."

"Okay, first of all, what is HE doing here?" Chris asked referring to his father. "Second off, why does everyone have such an issue with Wyatt having the sword when my mother came back from her grave to give it to him? And most importantly, where the HELL is my brother?"

"The Avatars took him," Leo answered. "I came here for help to find him."

"WHAT!" Paige, Phoebe, and Chris all exclaimed at once.

"I'm going to call Kyle and have him send the girls to Magic School where they'll be safe. Chris, you should probably go too," Paige said as she excused herself from the room.

"I'm not going anywhere until I find my brother," Chris replied defiantly.

"That's why I'm here, son," Leo replied placing his hand on Chris's shoulder.

Chris reeled back away from Leo's touch. The very thought of having him near him, sharing the same oxygen, made his skin crawl. Chris hadn't seen nor heard from his father in over three years, and when he finally does show it's to send Wyatt off to the Avatars? Of course, Leo didn't give a crap about him because Wyatt was the special one, the only one their father cared about.

"Don't touch me," Chris murmured.

"Leo, this is a family affair. We'll take care of it, thank you for the heads up," Phoebe told him coldly.

"I AM family Phoebe, Wyatt is my son and I got him into this. I want to help," he answered.

"I think you've done enough," Chris told him.

The comment hurt Leo. He had not intended for things to go this wrong, and he had no idea that the Avatars were waiting for him to make his move to save Wyatt from becoming evil. In his ever lasting quest to save both of his sons, he inadvertently sent one off to the destiny he was trying to prevent, and unintentionally drove the other one away. The second chance that he had hoped for with Chris was now too far gone and he felt his heart shattering into a thousand different pieces.

"Fine, I'll go after him myself," Leo answered.

"They'll kill you," Chris told him.

"Don't worry, I'll be alright," Leo said, hoping that he still had some sort of chance with his youngest child.

"I'm not worried, I'm just stating a fact. You'll probably screw this up just like you did protecting mom and Wyatt."

"I see you didn't mention yourself there," Leo responded smiling ever so slightly.

"How could you have screwed anything up with me? You never made that much of an effort," Christ replied holding his fathers stare.

"That's because I knew that you wouldn't need me. I knew that you would be alright and grow into a strong, centered, good man," Leo replied softly.

"You need to go, Leo." Phoebe said. "Chris, Paige, and I have a lot of talking to do."

"Dad," Chris cried just as Leo started to orb away.

"Yeah?" Leo asked.

"Just, be careful, okay?"

Leo smiled and nodded. When he heard the warning uttered from the lips of his youngest son, he felt a sense of hope overcome him. Perhaps all the suffering that he had put his family through may have been worth something, and perhaps he could still save both of his sons.

"Listen to your aunts, I won't be far I promise," Leo told Chris as he orbed away.

Phoebe watched the exchange with a mixture of sorrow and hope. She wondered if Leo had changed, and if he was actually redeemable. She supposed only time would tell, because she knew that they were in for a huge battle if they didn't find Wyatt soon. She walked around to the other side of the recliner and sat down with a heavy heart. She had so many things that she wanted to tell Chris, but she and Paige had promised Piper that they wouldn't tell him what had happened in the year before he was born. She looked up as Paige walked back in the room.

"Okay, Kyle sent the girls to Magic School and he said to tell you whatever we need he'll do," Paige told her.

"Paige, Chris, sit down," Phoebe said rubbing her temples. "We need to talk."

"Phoebe, you're not going to-" Paige started.

"Yes, I am Paige. Let me be the big sister, I know what I'm doing. We have to," Phoebe said. Her voice was void of emotion, and her face was still pale. Chris took a seat next to Paige and looked on at his older aunt.

"Chris, you asked why it was such a big deal that Wyatt had Excalibur after your mom came back from the grave to give it to him... and I'm going to tell you," she started.

"Phoebe!" Paige exclaimed.

"Trust me Paige, it's for the best. Anyway Chris, we can't figure out WHY she did that. Excalibur is dangerous, very dangerous. It nearly destroyed your mother, and we know for a fact that it can destroy Wyatt too. A very long time ago, before you were born the Lady of Avalon went to your mother for help. She was in danger because some demons were after the sword, and the Lady was killed. Before she died she gave the sword to your mom, and told her to keep it safe. A parade of magical creatures showed up hoping to be named the next King, but the only person that was able to pull it from the stone was your mom. Even though Piper was everything good, she was consumed by the power of the sword, and she did some pretty horrible things. Later, we figured out that the sword was meant for Wyatt, not Piper, and that's why she was so taken by the power," Phoebe told her nephew.

"Well, if it was meant for Wyatt, then he won't be consumed by the power. Why is it such a big deal?" Chris asked defensively.

"Something that changed our lives forever happened. Someone from the future came to us and gave us a warning that Wyatt had turned evil in the future, and that he had destroyed everything good that we, the Charmed Ones, had fought for. We thought that we had destroyed the threat before you were born, but we all decided to keep Excalibur from Wyatt just in case," Phoebe continued.

"Wyatt is not going to turn evil," Chris said.

"We didn't believe that either," Paige told him. "But we also didn't believe that your father could turn evil either."

"My dad may not have been around much, but he's not evil," Chris said, but he was unsure of himself.

"He wasn't good either Chris. He used to be our whitelighter, he used to be an angel, and then he joined the Avatars and it changed him from what he used to be. He quit trying to protect the innocent, and he was consumed with this idea of what the world could be without good or evil. It was unnatural," Phoebe told him.

"You guys joined the Avatars too," Chris reminded them.

"We know that Chris, but we left, and that is even more reason for us to be worried about them having Wyatt. We know how persuasive they can be," Paige told him firmly.


End file.
